Can Cancer Be Prevented?
A substantial proportion of cancers could be prevented. All cancers caused by tobacco use and heavy alcohol consumption could be prevented completely. In 2016, about 188,800 of the estimated 595,690 cancer deaths in the US will be caused by cigarette smoking, according to a recent study by American Cancer Society epidemiologists. In addition, the World Cancer Research Fund estimates that about 20% of all cancers diagnosed in the US are related to body fatness, physical inactivity, excess alcohol consumption, and/or poor nutrition, and thus could also be prevented. Certain cancers are related to infectious agents, such as human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Many of these cancers could be avoided by preventing these infections through behavioral changes or vaccination, or by treating the infection. Many of the more than 5 million skin cancer cases that are diagnosed annually could be prevented by protecting skin from excessive sun exposure and not using indoor tanning devices.
Screening can prevent colorectal and cervical cancers by allowing for the detection and removal of precancerous lesions. Screening also offers the opportunity to detect some cancers early, when treatment is less extensive and more likely to be successful. Screening is known to help reduce mortality for cancers of the breast, colon, rectum, cervix, and lung (among long-term and/or heavy smokers). In addition, a heightened awareness of changes in certain parts of the body, such as the breast, skin, mouth, eyes, or genitalia, may also result in the early detection of cancer.
How Many People Alive Today Have Ever Had Cancer?
Nearly 14.5 million Americans with a history of cancer were alive on January 1, 2014. Some of these individuals were diagnosed recently and undergoing treatment, while most were diagnosed many years ago with no current evidence of cancer.
How Many New Cases and Deaths Are Expected to Occur This Year?
About 1,685,210 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2016 (Table 1, page 4). This estimate does not include carcinoma in situ (noninvasive cancer) of any site except urinary bladder, nor does it include basal cell or squamous cell skin cancers because these are not required to be reported to cancer registries. Table 2 (page 5) provides estimated new cancer cases in 2016 by state.
About 595,690 Americans are expected to die of cancer in 2016, which translates to about 1,630 people per day (Table 1, page 4). Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease, and accounts for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths. Table 3 (page 6) provides estimated cancer deaths by state in 2016.
How Much Progress Has Been Made in the Fight against Cancer?
Trends in cancer death rates are the best measure of progress against cancer. The total cancer death rate rose for most of the 20th century because of the tobacco epidemic, peaking in 1991 at 215 cancer deaths per 100,000 persons. However, from 1991 to 2012, the rate dropped 23% because of reductions in smoking, as well as improvements in early detection and treatment. This decline translates into the avoidance of more than 1.7 million cancer deaths. Death rates are declining for all four of the most common cancer types – lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate
Do Cancer Incidence and Death Rates Vary By State?
For some cancers (e.g., lung), there is substantial variation by state, whereas for others (e.g., breast), there is less variation. For more information about geographic disparities in cancer occurrence, see page 53 of the downloadable brochure.
Who Is at Risk of Developing Cancer?
Cancer usually develops in older people; 86% of all cancers in the United States are diagnosed in people 50 years of age or older. Certain behaviors also increase risk, such as smoking, eating an unhealthy diet, or not being physically active. Cancer researchers use the word “risk” in different ways, most commonly expressing risk as lifetime risk or relative risk. Lifetime risk refers to the probability that an individual will develop or die from cancer over the course of a lifetime. In the US, the lifetime risk of developing cancer is 42% (1 in 2) in men and 38% (1 in 3) in women (Table 6, page 14). These probabilities are estimated based on the overall experience of the general population and may overestimate or underestimate individual risk because of differences in exposures (e.g., smoking), family history, and/or genetic susceptibility. Relative risk is a measure of the strength of the relationship between a risk factor and cancer. It compares the risk of developing cancer in people with a certain exposure or trait to the risk in people who do not have this characteristic. For example, men and women who smoke are about 25 times more likely to develop lung cancer than nonsmokers, so their relative risk of lung cancer is 25. Most relative risks are not this large. For example, women who have a mother, sister, or daughter with a history of breast cancer are about twice as likely to develop breast cancer as women who do not have this family history; in other words, their relative risk is about 2. For most types of cancer, risk is higher with a family history of the disease. It is now thought that many familial cancers arise from the interplay between common gene variations and lifestyle/environmental risk factors. Only a small proportion of cancers are strongly hereditary, that is, caused by an inherited genetic alteration that confers a very high risk.
Info From Cancer Facts & Figures 2016: American Cancer Society Inc:
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